


Now and Then

by sweetsymphony



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Doctor!Liam, Hippie!Niall, artist!zayn, hipster!harry, youtuber!Louis
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-01-05
Updated: 2014-04-18
Packaged: 2018-01-07 13:26:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,177
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1120368
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sweetsymphony/pseuds/sweetsymphony
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The first time he ever sees the boy; he’s not wearing any shoes. </p><p>He’s sprawled out on a stone bench in the center of the university’s quad, munching on what appears to be a churro, and bobbing his head to a nonexistent beat very enthusiastically. There is a crown of sunflowers perched on the top of his lilac tinted hair, and he’s wearing a faded turquoise tank top and a ratty pair of khaki cargos with no shoes on his pale, bare feet. Harry’s never seen him on campus before, and he’s fairly certain he’d remember this boy, who was camped out on this bench before his class and two hours later is still here, greeting everyone who comes within a five foot radius with a cheerful “Hullo!”</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> please don't hate me. I'm new at this. if you guys could just leave me a comment with your thoughts? I would be so so so so so grateful!

The first time he ever sees the boy; he’s not wearing any shoes.

He’s sprawled out on a stone bench in the center of the university’s quad, munching on what appears to be a churro, and bobbing his head to a nonexistent beat very enthusiastically. There is a crown of sunflowers perched on the top of his lilac tinted hair, and he’s wearing a faded turquoise tank top and a ratty pair of khaki cargos with no shoes on his pale, bare feet. Harry’s never seen him on campus before, and he’s fairly certain he’d remember this boy, who was camped out on this bench before his class and two hours later is still here, greeting everyone who comes within a five foot radius with a cheerful “Hullo!”

When Harry slides in beside him, just for a quick sec to pop his books into his knapsack, he tells himself, the boy is grinning so brilliantly at him, he can’t help but offer a shy smile back.

“I like your hair, mate.” The boy declares cheerfully, gesturing with both hands to the mop of curls resting atop Harry’s head with a flourish. He wiggles his fingers excitedly “It’s like curly and all that. Like a cloud or somethin” His voice thick and rough with a hearty Irish accent and his wide cerulean eyes are bright, and framed with a set of thick feathery, golden lashes, that touch the apples of his cheeks every time he blinks. They’re so long, and light he imagines that they’re really sunbeams, plucked out of the sky.

“Thanks. I quite like yours too.” Harry tells him, a furious blush creeping up his neck, to flush his cheeks tan. He’s smiling so widely he knows his dimples are probably showing, but he can’t bother to be self-conscious about it. He rubs the back of his neck a little awkwardly and ducks his head a little “My name’s Harry.”

“Niall.” The boy responds, his grin growing even wider, if possible. He finishes his churro, dusting his sugary fingers on the cloth of his shirt and looking around at the students milling about. “You go to school here, yeah?” At Harry’s nod, Niall continues “think you could do me solid mate?”

“Depends, I guess.” Harry trains his gaze back down to the tops of his scuffed brown boots and shrugs a little, leaning back to rest against the ridged bench. It’s an unusually warm October day, and he’s sweltering in his black button up and unnecessarily tight black jeans. He thinks fleetingly for a moment, that he’d do absolutely anything Niall asks if he keeps looking at Harry with his big, pretty moon eyes.

“You know a lad called Zayn? I figured I’d eventually find him here, but I’ve been sitting for two hours mate, and he still hasn’t shown.” Niall’s thick blonde brows furrow in confusion. “M’not really sure how to contact him. Haven’t got a mobile or nothing.”

Its got to be fate that, yes, Harry does actually know Zayn, in fact they’re really good mates. Zayn is one of the three lads he rooms with this year, and even though they’ve only been living together a few months or so, Harry already considers him one of his best friends, along with the others, Louis and Liam. Niall looks positively ecstatic when Harry tells him this.

“Aces mate! So I can just wait for him round yours, yeah? That is if you don’t mind. I don’t wanna be a bother.” He blinks up at Harry through his long lashes, and his eyes are such a deep, startling unnatural blue, that Harrys voice nearly catches in his throat at the sight.

“N-No it’s no trouble at all really. I insist.”

Niall follows Harry without question, trailing maybe a foot or so behind but still babbling excitedly the entire time. He tells Harry about how he and Zayn are old mates and how they ran into each other last month at a party and how Zayn invited him to stop by whenever he was in town. He tells him about how he’s never been to London before, and how lost he’s been all day trying to find their uni and how all he’s had to eat was that churro. He says this part so miserably that Harry promises to send for take away as soon as they get to the dorms, just to get that awful pout off his face.

It’s very obvious that Niall is different than anyone Harry's ever met before. He’s absolutely mad about the pizza, and gobbles up half of it before Harry eats his first slice, and downs two beers in the forty-five minutes they wait for Zayn to show up. He’s not even tipsy when Zayn finally arrives, just cheerful, a little ball of energy.

“Z! I thought you’d never show.” He hurls himself into Zayns arms without warning, sending the older boy careening back into the wall. Niall’s is all loud, bright laughter, and planting sloppy kisses on Zayns surprised cheeks. “Got you!”

“That you did, Ni.” Zayn is uncharacteristically not broody, chuckling and smiling so much he’s starting to get crinkles in the corners of his eyes. He opens his arms wide and he and Niall hug properly this time until Zayn pulls back to question him. “How did you get here?”At Nialls questioning look Zayn quickly clarifies “I mean here in London, at my University, in my dorm room.” Then shakes his head “I mean just tell me everything, yeah?”

So he does. Plopping down on their couch and popping the top off yet, another beer. Niall, Harry realizes, is a gesturer, as he immediately starts flailing his hands around like their words instead of complete nonsense. “I was staying at Isa’s place, y’know the one I told you about before? But then Perrie, you remember Perrie? Well she tol’me she was headin to London, cuz she really wants ta get a place y’know, and start doing her own thing, but I wasn’t about ta let her go by herself, yeah? I mean c’mon she shouldn’t be livin in the city all on her own. Leigh-Anne was supposed ta come with her but she and her boyfriend Tommy got held up on some organic compound thing.” He waves his hands around incredulously “whatever the hell that means. So anyway, I wasn’t busy and y’know Perrie’s my girl, so here I am.” He shrugs nonchalantly and laughs loudly at the flabergasted look on Zayns face. "Whats wrong?"

“You moved from some strawberry farm in the middle of fucking nowhere, all the way to London, just so Perrie wouldn’t be on her own?” Zayn shakes his head incredulously. “You’re crazy mate. So what, you were just in town and decided to hunt me down? Hoped on a train to London and did your best, did you?"

“Basically.”

“I found him in the quad. He’d been sitting there for hours waiting for you to walk by. “ Harry jumps in, shoving his hands deep into the pockets of his jeans and, leaning back against the kitchen door way feigning carelessness. "Probably would have starved if I hadn't come along."

“Yeah.” Niall grins up at Harry from his seat on the couch and leans closer to bump fists happily. “Hazza’s a good mate. Saw a lad in trouble, and offered to help me out.”

_Hazza?_

Zayn shot him a quick, smug smile and crossed his arms over his chest. “Yeah. That’s Harry for you. Always happy to help out a bloke in need.”

And damn if Harry didn’t want to wipe that smug look off his pretty face. Because Zayn knew, probably better than anyone else that, Harry wasn’t exactly the do gooder type, and that the only blokes he ever stopped for were the fit ones. And Niall, with his alabaster skin, and ocean blue eyes, and heart-shaped cotton pink mouth, and broad shoulders was definitely fit.

Zayn looks happy, though. Apparently he and Niall go way, way back, because Niall asks about his sisters and his mum, and what ever happened with that girl he was seeing a while ago and Zayn fills him in without hesitation. Its kind of adorable to see how relaxed Zayn is while he talks to Niall, ruffling his purple hair, pinching his cheeks, laughing more than he’s laughed in the two months since they started school. It’s comforting that he does it while Harry’s there too, so he knows Zayn doesn’t mind seeing him like this.

A few hours have passed when Niall finally checks the time and decides he better go before Perrie starts to worry. Zayn groans in absolute disbelief when the smaller boy admits that _no he hasn't got a mobile, sorry_.

“Take my number anyway, yeah? You best get one by this week Nialler. Harry isn’t always going to be there to find you for me.” Zayn laughs and slips a little piece of paper into Nialls hand as they hug again, just as affectionate as before. Zayn whispers something into Nialls ear that has him throwing his head back and letting out the most booming laugh he's ever heard in his life.

Harry is a little surprised when Niall drops him into an equally tight hug as well. “Nice meeting you Hazza. I’ll find you lads later, yeah? Perrie and I may be having a thing soon. I’ll get you when.”

When Nialls gone, it feels like the room has dimmed considerably, like someone shut off the lights. And it’s a little colder and a lot quieter as well. Zayn is looking at Harry, with his _‘I know exactly what you’re thinking but I wont say anything if you don’t want me to_ ’ expression and Harry finally has no choice but to groan and give in. “I just. . .I just think he’s fit is all.”

“Whatever you say ‘Hazza’. God, I cannot wait to tell Louis.”

And that’s how Harry meets Niall.


	2. two

He doesn’t see Niall again until four days later when Zayn announces to the rest of the boys that Niall and Perrie are finally having a house warming party at their new flat tonight and they've all been invited to come. They arrive a little early so that Zayn can properly introduce everyone and Niall opens the door with a beer already in hand and a smile plastered to his face even though its barely nine o’clock.

“Right on! Glad you lads could make it.” He fist bumps Zayn and Harry and introduces himself happily to Liam and Louis. “Z didn’t tell me his mates were so fit.” Niall says it so off-handily that Liam nearly chokes on the water he was drinking and Louis, snickering at his friends misfortune, has to pound him on the back a few times. Niall just beams at them and lets out one of his booming laughs. Poor Liam is absolutely flushed red in embarassment and Louis doesn’t help at all.

“He does often forget to mention that.” Louis agrees solemnly and Harry can see the beginning of what looks like a very good friendship, and lots of trouble for the rest of them because Niall shoots Louis a playful grin and they look at ech other like they're sharing a very funny secret.

Niall is dressed in a very ratty white tank top and chinos cut off at the knee. It hair is still a soft, pretty shade of lilac and resting on top of his head is a neat circle of fresh posy’s. He’s not wearing shoes again, but Harry finds it a bit more acceptable this time. He’s feeling a bit overdone in his own very tight jeans, loose denim button up and gray scarf, but Louis had assured him he looked good, so he tries not to worry about it too much.

The flat is very different than he imagined it to be. It’s small, but not cramped. There is an old, but comfortable looking couch and a strange mish mosh of novelty furniture that they only could have gotten second hand. He doesn’t see any one the normal stuff as Niall takes them on a quick tour. No computers, or televisions, or stereos. There isn’t even a microwave in the kitchen. Its all very odd: a bookshelf stuffed with hats and shoes, dream catchers dangling from the ceiling, theres even an ancient poster of the Spice Girls hanging up on the fridgerator door. 

When they meet Perrie, Harry reminds himself to question Zayn later because she and Niall must certainly be brother and sister, if not twins. Her platinum blonde hair is dyed the same shade of lilac at the ends, wide blue eyes sit in a pretty pale, heart shaped face and he doesn’t think anyone has smiled wider in his life. She too is wearing a crown of flowers and beaming at them like they've done something very special.

“Z!” She cried excitedly throwing her tiny, slender frame into Zayns arm practically knocking them both to the floor and planting sloppy wet kisses on Zayns face, nearly identical to Nialls own greeting a few days earlier.  “Imissedyou!Imissedyou!Imissedyou!” She finally pulls back a little to grin up and him and look over at the rest of the boys. “Niall didn’t tell me your friends were so fit!”. Then she and Niall laugh in harmony and it actually sounds like music: tinkling bells and soft chords.

The party is a good one, very loud and crowded without being over whelming and crazy. Harry’s honestly a bit surprised at the turn out because from the way Niall described, he and Perrie were basically strangers in a strange land. When he tells Zayn this, the other boy just laughs and shakes his head.

“I’ve never met anyone, who didn’t know them first.”

They’re a tag team, those two, greeting everyone with hugs and kisses, dancing to every song, refilling every half empty cup. Very good hosts, they are, but a few hours in they finally separate. Perrie spends a majority of the night curled around Zayn in the corner though, batting her own big dreamy mooneyes at him and biting coyly on plump candy pink lips. And Harry wants to keep an eye on them, he really does, but he’s too busy watching Niall.

The purple haired boy has completely captivated Louis attention and their laughing loudly and making bets about who can out drink whom. Liam is fluttering around them, very obviously worried because Niall has downed about five beers since they’ve been here and Lou is about to be on his third and _that’s probably enough guys, yeah,_ but even he is cracking up and having as good a time as Liam ‘No-Thank-You-Really-I-Don’t-Need-a-Drink’ Payne is capable of having at a house party on a Thursday night.

Harry was feeling a bit awkward at first but after two shots and a half-cup of something fruity he’s gained a good steady buzz and his party confidence back. He’s not like some wild socialite or anything, but he’s never had a problem striking up a conversation with someone. There is a tall, pretty blonde girl who’s been eyeing him all night, and he thinks he recognizes her from his Lit lectures and Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Sure enough her name is Taylor and she’s undeclared and _really, really, really_ loves this song and they _please, please, please_ dance to it. He’s just drunk enough to find her endearing and they end up plastered together on the center of the dance floor. She doesn’t really have much rhythm but she makes up for it in enthusiasm as she grinds her butt against his crotch. He’s not very into her or anything, but when she pulls him into a more concealed corner to ‘get to know each other better’ he doesn’t really protest, because she’s a very pretty girl, and he hasn’t had a proper snog in ages really. Out the corner of his eye he can see Louis and Niall still hanging all over each other and Niall must be asking Lou something because he’s whipping his head around furiously, like a Meer cat or something, until his eyes finally land on Harry and he gestures over to the secluded corner and says something into Nialls ear.

He feels a little embarrassed when Nialls eyes finally meet his and widen at the sight. Then he feels even more embarrassed when Niall gives him a quick head nod and raises his eyebrows questioningly at Taylor who is busy sucking the life out of Harry’s earlobe, because he's sweaty and drunk and letting some girl he doesn't even know hang all over him. He shrugs a little in response to the unanswered question and Niall beams brightly at him and toasts his beer bottle in the air to Harrys supposed triumph, and rejoins his conversation with Lou and Liam enthusiastically, hands in the air, eyes bright.

Harry feels like he’s lost something, that maybe he didn’t quite have to begin with.

The next morning he's is absolutely unsurprised to see Perrie sitting alone at the tiny table in their common area, sipping from a large steaming gray mug. She offers Harry a bright smile and a cup of tea. His head is pounding a little and it hurts to open his eyes so he just hums in response and accepts the drink gratefully. He doesn't remember what time they left the party, only that it was very late and he woke up this morning to find three purple love bites dusting his throat and messily scribbled number on his palm. 

Perrie, for her part, looks as if she's ready to run a marathon or something equally strenuous. “I’ve got to get back home, yeah? Left Niall in a bit of situation last night.” She shrugs carelessly “I was trying to wait for Z, but honest he sleeps like the dead. S’almost noon and I haven't got all day to wait around for his pretty face.” Small pale hands flutter dramatically in the air around her head. She’s wearing one of Zayns favorite shirts, a comic book graphic tee with 'POW' swritten across it in bright yellow letters, and the tiny shorts she had on last night. Her platinum hair is an absolute birds nest, and there’s eyeliner smudged all over her face, but she still smacks a wet kiss onto Harrys cheek and calls loudly over her shoulder as she walks out. “I’ll see you boys laaaaaytaaaaaah!” Slamming the door behind her.

“Jesus Christ!” Thats Louis, his voice muffled through the thick walls because he's shouting from inside his bedroom. “And I though Niall was loud!”

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

After his ten am lectures on Mondays and Wednesdays Harry usually meets up with Liam at this little café right outside campus, in between classes. Its one of those tiny hole in the wall places, but they serve much better tea than the bland university fare and Zayn works there some mornings so they drink for free. This morning however, instead of being nestled in the cozy two-person booth they like to stalk, Liam is seated at one of the four seater tables in the center, sipping from his usual bowl sized mug of black coffee with an array of text books surrounding him and a wild look in his eyes. As a pre-med student, Liam has always been far busier than all the others combined. In fact, these coffee dates and Sunday dinners are the most interaction they usually have all week. 

But from the looks of it they wont be doing much chatting today, because seated across the table from Liam, shoving his mouth full of blueberry scone, is none other than Niall, looking just as adorable as usual. His hair is still lilac from where Harry can see it, poking out wildly from under a pale gray beanie and he’s actually wearing shoes today, a pair of thongs that look brand new. His white t-shirt is a little snugger than it should be, but it looks good on him, and he’s wearing a pair of maroon cord cut-offs that have certainly seen better days. 

“Hazza!” Niall booms loudly from across the café and waves crazily at him, even though Harry is only standing about ten feet away. Liam raises his mug in a silent greeting before taking another large gulp and resuming his highlighting. Harry hasn’t seen Niall since the party last week, though he knows Zayn and the other lads have seen him a great deal. Louis in particular sees Niall for a good chunk of every day, which is strange considering the fact that Niall has yet to buy a mobile.   
After he orders his usual, an Earl Grey that’s probably more milk than actual tea, and slides into the seat beside Liam and diagonal from Niall. 

“Howya’ been mate?” The blonde brushes a rim of crumbs away from his mouth and gives him a wide, bright, crooked smile. There is a something on his nose, and when he swings his head just right it glitters in the fluorescent lighting. 

“You got your nose pierced?” Embarrassingly Harry hears his voice crack on that last word and he has to clear his throat and take a sip of his tea to hide his mortification, but that doesn’t stop Liam from shooting him an amused knowing grin.

“Yeah” Niall shrugs like it doesn’t matter and twists the tiny silver hoop through his skin “Did it last week with Pezza cep’t she got her belly done n’stead. Can’t believe I haven’t seen you since the party, where ya been mate?” 

“He’s got a very strict schedule of being a lazy sod.” Liam cuts in authoritatively, shutting the cover of his Anatomy text book “Very rigorous it is Niall, keeps him in bed nearly all hours. This may in fact be his first glimpse of sunlight this week.” Then Liam shoots him this comically wide toothy grin, the same smile he always gets when he thinks he’s said something particularly clever. 

“Oh look, Leemos made a funny” He tosses a pink sugar packet in Liam’s face and laughs at the disgruntled look he’s met with. “Oh come off it Liam, don’t pout like that.” 

But Liam is adamant, shoving the rest of his things into his knapsack in an overdramatic flourish. Harry knows Liam’s next class isn’t for at least another forty-five minutes, but that doesn’t stop the older boy from excusing himself under the guise of running late. Harry lets him go without a comment though, because as embarrassing as it is that everyone knows he fancy’s Niall, he’ll still do what he can for a little alone time. 

“How’ve you been Niall?” His tea is lukewarm now, but Harry sips it anyway, and then wipes his sweaty palms on the thighs of his jeans. 

Niall is too busy shoving the rest of his scone down his throat to reply, but as soon as he’s swallowed enough to speak he does, voice muffled by pastry “S’good mate! London’s so different y’know. Like I feel like an alien or somefin’, Zayn had to teach me to catch the trolley, it was right embarrassin’ mate I’ll tell ya.” 

And then they lock eyes for a second, and honest to God, there’s a ringing in his ears so loud that it actually drowns out the noise of the café. Nialls eyes are spectacular, really, not so much cerulean as crystalline, bright and sure and hypnotic. Harrys not quite sure how long he’s been staring but when he finally snaps out of his daze, Nialls got a soft pensive look on his face. 

“You alrigh’ Haz? You’re lookin a bit sick mate.” He presses a hand to the back of Harry’s palm for a second look concerned, then grins really wide and begins gesturing again wildly and emphatically. “Oh wait! Christ I can’t believe I almos’ forgot.” And he digs around in the pockets of his chords before producing a wrinkled flyer triumphantly and smoothing it on the wooden table for Harry to see. “Pezza woulda killed me fo’ forgettin. You like music righ’? Like live music and everythin?” At Harrys nod he continues exuberantly “Right on mate, theres a show next week, its gonna be crazy sick, only nobodies down ta go with me yeah, I talked to Zayn though and he said it was your kinda scene, which is wicked mate honest, so I tho’ if your not busy, you’d be down to come.” He speaks so quickly and his accent is so incredibly thick that it takes Harry a fews seconds to process. He ends up nodding, though he’s still not quite sure what he’s agreed to and Niall actually punches the air in excitement. 

“So, so sick!”

And then Niall is babbling so enthusiastically at him, Harry doesn’t even bother trying to listen. Just watches happily as the other boy flings his hands excitedly, batting his thick eyelashes and smiling sweetly at him. 

“Harry? Are you listening to me at all?” 

“Course.”


End file.
